


after the after party

by embracedself



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, N E WAYS, does it count as angst if it's really only angst that they're dead, does it count as mcd if all of the characters are canonically dead, hi i'm backish from years of no writing rumbelle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embracedself/pseuds/embracedself
Summary: The reunion they deserve.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy & Belle & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Baelfire | Neal Cassidy & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	after the after party

It had been years. Years, and yet it had felt like so much less than that now that he held her in his arms once more. He didn’t count the years they were separated anymore, and why should he? Now they were in the afterlife. Now they were in eternity. 

To be forevermore with each other, loving one another like they always had (or in Rumplestiltskin’s case, always should have.) Sure, he hadn’t been the best of men at times. And ‘at times’ had turned into a pastime, but then Belle came around and— well, she just… she changed things.

She made things brighter. Better. More beautiful. She shone so brightly when she was there, by their well waiting to greet him in the afterlife. She was ethereal. Her brown hair, curls in abundance, falling gracefully down her back. Her blue eyes— oh gods, Rumplestiltskin had forgotten how very bright they could shine. And when she spoke— her Avonlean accent was back. 

As if she were young again, when they’d first met all those years again in the Avonlea castle in the Enchanted Forest— then, she pleaded with him to save her kingdom even at a great price; now, she stood firm in the fact that she only need lift an eyebrow to convince him to lasso the very moon itself for her. Convinced of his love for her. What a journey that had been, to get them to this point. But oh, how worth it.

Then she stepped just barely to the side, after they’d embraced for what seemed like hours or a few seconds, couldn’t be sure.

It was Baelfire, his pride and joy. Gideon was still alive — and gods knew he deserved to live a full life now knowing that he had his parents love— but Baelfire had been gone for so long. “Hey pops.” Whilst Belle did not move to let Rumplestiltskin go entirely, she pulled Baelfire into their huddle of a warm hug.

Rumplestiltskin was crying and he was more than willing to admit it. It was (almost) everyone he loved all at once, and he could hardly believe it. “Hey son.” He murmured back, squeezing Bae’s shoulder. His brown eyes were still misty when he looked up at the both of them, securing the words with another squeeze (one to Bae’s shoulder, the second to Belle’s waist) as he spoke:

“I love you.”


End file.
